Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
Ethical Publishing Commitment
To develop a coherent and cohesive network of knowledge, the publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is considered an essential building block. It reflects the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and represent the scientific method; therefore, all parties involved in the publication process — authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and scholarly societies — are expected to follow recognized standards of ethical behaviour.
Online Science Publishing follows the Code of Conduct of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. Our journals follow COPE procedures for dealing with potentially unethical behaviour by authors, reviewers, or editors.
Reference
Committee on Publication Ethics. (January 2018). Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Retrieved from:
Responsibilities at a Glance
Duties of Authors
Submission
Manuscripts must be submitted by one of the authors. Submissions by anyone other than an author will not be accepted. The submitted manuscript, or any translation of it, must not have been previously published or be under consideration elsewhere. Violation of this rule may result in immediate rejection without further review.
Initial checks include:
- Format and completeness check
- Publication status check
- Author background check
- Plagiarism screening
- Check for machine-produced manuscripts
Reporting Standards
Authors must present an accurate account of the research performed and provide an objective discussion of its significance. Research papers should contain sufficient detail and references to allow replication where appropriate. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide raw or supporting data during the review process. They should be prepared to provide public access to such data where practicable and retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.
Originality and Acknowledgement of Sources
Authors must ensure that their work is original. Where the work or words of others are used, these must be properly cited, quoted, and acknowledged. Information obtained privately must not be used or disclosed without written permission from the source.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism in all forms, including copying, paraphrasing substantial parts of another work, claiming others’ results, or self-plagiarism, is unethical and unacceptable. Manuscripts containing plagiarism will be rejected immediately.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors should not submit manuscripts describing the same research to more than one journal. Multiple, redundant, or concurrent publication is considered unethical and unacceptable.
Confidentiality
Information obtained through confidential services, such as manuscript review or grant evaluation, must not be used without written permission from the author of the work involved.
Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All contributors who have made substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate co-authors are included, that all co-authors have approved the final version, and that all authors agree to submission.
Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects
If research involves hazardous chemicals, procedures, equipment, humans, or animals, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript. Research involving human or animal subjects must comply with relevant laws, institutional guidelines, and ethical approval requirements.
Declaration of Interests
Authors must disclose all financial, personal, or professional relationships that could influence their work. Funding sources and the role of sponsors, where applicable, should also be declared.
Notification of Fundamental Errors
If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article where necessary.
Image Integrity
Authors must not obscure, move, remove, or introduce specific features within images. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or colour balance are acceptable only when they do not misrepresent or remove information from the original image.
Duties of Editors
Publication Decision
The decision to publish an article is made independently by the editor in accordance with journal policies, scholarly merit, originality, relevance, and legal requirements relating to copyright and plagiarism.
Peer Review
Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, unbiased, and timely peer-review process. Research articles should normally be reviewed by at least two external and independent reviewers with appropriate expertise.
Fair Play
Editors evaluate manuscripts based on intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
Confidentiality
Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and communications with reviewers. Unpublished material must not be used for personal research without written consent from the author.
Competing Interests
Editors must declare any potential conflicts of interest and ensure that submissions involving themselves, family members, colleagues, or close associates are handled through the journal’s standard independent procedures.
Vigilance Over the Published Record
Editors are responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record. Where misconduct is suspected or confirmed, editors may issue corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other appropriate notices.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and helps authors improve their manuscripts. Reviewers who feel unqualified or unable to complete a timely review should inform the editor and decline the invitation.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or use unpublished material without permission from the editor and author.
Alertness to Ethical Issues
Reviewers should identify potential ethical concerns, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, overlap with other published work, or improper citation, and report them to the editor.
Objectivity and Competing Interests
Reviews should be objective, constructive, and supported by clear arguments. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers must disclose potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
Duties of the Publisher
Editorial Independence
Online Science Publishing ensures that advertising, reprints, or commercial revenue do not influence editorial decisions.
Promotion of Best Practice
The publisher promotes best practice in publication ethics by supporting editors with COPE guidance and similarity-check reports for submitted manuscripts.
Technical, Procedural, and Legal Support
The publisher supports editors in communications with other journals or publishers where necessary and may provide legal review or counsel in complex cases.
Education on Publishing Ethics
Online Science Publishing supports researchers, especially early-career scholars, by providing guidance on ethical publishing standards.
Copyright, Article Sharing, Withdrawal, Retraction, Removal, and Replacement
Copyright and Permissions
Copyrights for published articles are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. Articles published under the Creative Commons Attribution License may be reused without permission, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Sharing
Authors are encouraged to share their published articles through personal websites, institutional repositories, indexing databases, social media, academic platforms, and other communication channels. Open-access sharing increases visibility, readership, and citation impact.
Article Withdrawal
Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript within one week of submission. If withdrawal is requested after payment but before publication, the manuscript may be withdrawn; however, the publication fee will not be refunded.
Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern
Editors will consider retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern in line with COPE Retraction Guidelines. Corrigenda may be issued for author errors, while errata may be issued for journal errors.
Reference: COPE. (2019). COPE Retraction Guidelines. https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.4
Article Removal
In rare circumstances, an article may be removed from the online database, such as where it is defamatory, infringes legal rights, is subject to court order, or may pose a serious health risk.
Article Replacement
Where an article may pose a serious health risk, the author may replace it with a corrected version. A notice and link to the corrected article will be provided.
Marketing Communication and Advertising
Marketing Communication
Social media and email communication are important tools for disseminating published research, reaching readers, and increasing engagement. However, such communication must never compromise the integrity of published content or the academic record.
Advertising
Online Science Publishing allows limited and appropriate advertising on its academic platforms. Advertising must remain independent from editorial decisions and clearly distinct from scholarly content. The publisher reserves the right to reject or remove advertising that conflicts with ethical publishing standards.
How to Raise a Concern
Anyone who believes that research published by Online Science Publishing has not been carried out in accordance with these principles should contact the relevant editor or email:
publishingethics@onlinesciencepublishing.com
